Who: Locke and Touya What: Teaching an old dog new tricks Where: The Forest When: Thursday, November 30th, 2009 Rating: PG-13 Status: Complete
Touya wasn't pleased and hadn't been pleased the entire week. Since he had been knocked out, the recovery had been a slow, painful process, unhelped by magic in any way whatsoever. Even now, he still had a small trace of his limp, his chest and stomach tender where the sword had ripped through his skin. Locke had suggested that he teach Touya how to throw knives and even though Touya was still pissed off at his own weakness, he was never one to turn down learning a new skill. So that was how they had ended up here, standing in the snow and trying to aim knives at trees. Locke had no trouble throwing knife after knife into the tree they were aiming at, but so far every time Touya tried, his knife had refused to stay there. Sometimes the side of it hit the tree, other times the hilt and a couple times the point had hit the tree only to fall out again immediately. Concentrating, Touya took aim and tried it again, cursing under his breath when it stuck into the bark for a second, quivering from the impact before dropping into the snow.
Locke chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Touya was showing promise with the knife throwing; his strikes were quite accurate and his power was incredible, but he was chucking the blade like a baseball. It seems he hasn't taken his lessons to heart. This was a skill of finesse. Of patience. Locke picked up another knife. "Touya, you're putting too many rotations in your throws. The snap on your wrist is good, but visualize how many spins you want." He raised the knife above his head and threw it, making two full rotations, into the tree.. "I tend to put in two turns a ten-yard. You, my stalwart student, may be more comfortable with putting only one in." Locke picked up another knife, holding it from the blade this time. "Add in half a spin if you hold the knife by its edge," Locke let the blade fly. Two and a half spins. *Thock* "And above all, be patient. Think of the coin. Think of the time it took, the gentle dexterity," Locke picked up a knife and handed it to Touya. "Now show me again and slowly."
Touya watched carefully, his eyes and expression solemn as he took in the other's movements. The idea of visualizing the spins was something that was new to him and he took the knife, holding it first by the hilt. There would be time for him to learn throwing from the knife tip when he was able to actually make a knife stay in there. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the spins before his eyes snapped open, narrowing as he wound up and threw the knife. He watched as it rotated once, twice and another half rotation, the hilt hitting the tree with a solid 'thunk' sound before falling to the ground. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, but he was pleased. It was closer than before and more controlled than any of the other throws he had made.
Locke nodded. "The first step. Significant, as infinitesimal as it may seem." Locke walked to the tree and retrieved the knives embedded there and the few on the ground. "The second step is to discover your own personal mix of wrist and arm strength. It is different for each person and different for each object, but you will grasp a feel for it soon enough. Perpend." Locke picked up a knife but did not raise it. "You may, for whatever reason, be it convenience or to establish a feint, choose to release the steel with an underhand throw. "Locke cocked the knife at his hip and whipped it underhanded into the wood. *thock* "To me, it involves more of an arm and shoulder progression followed by a snap of the wrist, but you might want to stick to the basics for now." Locke rotated his shoulders slowly, stretching them out. "It's a bit of a mix between baseball and shot put and it differs depending on the weapon. We'll stick with throwing knives today, but you strike me as a man more suited to...improvised weaponry." Locke cocked a smile. "Nevertheless, again. With feeling, Touya."
Touya reached for another knife, returning the other's smile although his was smaller, his lips curving slightly. His fingers twitched around the hilt, smoothing over the surface, memorizing it as he worked through a short mathematical analysis in his mind. Again, he raised the knife, his fingers on the hilt, his eyes closing before he forced them open again much the same he had before and his hand moved, the knife making one full rotation before hitting the tree with a solid thunk, burying itself into the bark. Touya waited, his hand still raised as he waited for it to fall out and grinned when it didn't, not knowing if he could repeat the act, but not caring so much for now. He would learn how to throw underhanded, he would learn the different types, but for now he had managed to throw properly at least once.
Locke smiled, but only inwardly. His true facial expression was a mask of concentration. Form was the beginning of technique: you could build anything on a solid foundation and Locke was determined to give that to Touya so it would be second nature. He walked to the tree and removed the blade, handing it back to Touya. "Again. Don't close your eyes this time. Point with your elbow and exhale on the release." His tone was stern, uncharacteristically so, but this was a fundamental skill. The bread and butter of the underworld, so to speak. If you could throw a knife with perfect form and translate that skill, you could throw anything. It wouldn't even have to be sharp. Locke stood behind Touya, watching his stance and waited for his second throw.
Nodding, his expression becoming solemn once more, Touya took the knife. It was hard to not close his eyes, to not take that moment to gather himself, to calculate trajectories and spins. Keeping his elbow pointed at where he wanted to throw, he sucked in a deep breath, forcing his eyes to stay open as he let the knife fly again. It was more off target this time although it stayed in the tree much like the first one had. Without taking that moment to center himself, Touya found it hard to put as much force into the blow. This wasn't something that came naturally to him yet, not something that he could lose himself in like he could with swinging a sword.
Locke nodded to himself. "Good." And once more, cheer now back in his demeanor. "Good. Slightly off target, but the form was sound. Remember that feeling Touya." Teaching someone so old was new to Locke, used to dealing with the pliable minds of youths, but it wasn't impossible. A couple more throws with both hands left Locke satisfied with Touya's basic form and he handed Touya a few knives, telling him to holster them. "Next comes reality. Chances are you will not have your knife in hand when you are prompted to throw one, so we shall work with speed." Locke turned his back to the target and closed his eyes. Counting to five in his head, he turned, drew and unloaded a blade into the tree, all in the span of about half a second. It stuck true. "I give you a second and a half to make that shot. And believe me, a second and a half is far too long."
The knives holstered, Touya watched Locke and although it seemed deceptively simple, he knew that this wouldn't be the same as drawing his sword and swinging, not in the least. He counted to six in his head, then seven, taking deep breaths to steady himself before he turned, drew and threw. Not having enough time to orient himself, the knife flew as nicely as it had his last few throws, but the aim was off, missing the tree completely and Touya cursed under his breath, not actually perturbed. He didn't think he had gone over two seconds, but it still changed the dynamic completely when he had no time to orient himself. Turning around again, he repeated the process, hitting the side of the tree, his knife grazing it before falling to the ground. "That's fucking hard," he muttered under his breath.
"It should be," Locke agreed, "but do you really believe that someone will stand and watch while you raise your hand to release death upon them? Not a chance. Let's try again." Locke faced Touya and mocked a conversation to the tree behind Touya. "If I knew where the shipment was then we wouldn't be bloody having this conversation now would we?" He ran his hand through his hair. "No don't you give me that! You just calm down and we'll figure out where the two ends meet." He rolled up the cuffs of his blazer. "Listen, friend, we know that two hundred thousand yards," He wrung his hands, "of Vadran silk," He popped his knuckles, "won't cross the Iron Sea by itself," he scratched his ear, then stopped talking completely, scratching his ear. "...Touya...the signal?"
The... what? Touya just watched, his expression one of acute confusion as Locke ran through the motions of the conversation. Was Locke's ear itchy? He couldn't understand. Maybe it was a Camorri thing or a white thing or a white European thing. He didn't understand in the least. "What?" He asked, his brow furrowing as he watched his roommate scratch his ear. "What signal?"
Locke froze. Gods damn it. This was the second time he had forgotten himself in this manner. Of course Touya didn't know the signal, who would know Camorri Thieves' Cant other than a Camorri thief? That would have to change. For the necessity of missions and the meshing of the unit, Touya would have to learn. "Touya, we're going to be doing some extra lessons." Locke's demeanor was grave once more. "You've taught me more Japanese than I've taught you English, and now you must graduate from that. Tell me, have you learned sign language before?"
Sign language? Touya shook his head, thinking that Locke meant the type that the deaf used in order to speak and to hear. "Yakuza signs," he muttered after a moment, thinking about it. It was simple to bring back those memories, making a small fist, his thumb tucked between the index finger and his middle one before he let his hand drop to his side. It was something you would look for, the way a brother held his hands. "Danger" he says, gesturing toward his fist. "That sorta shit. Not sign language."
Locke nodded. "You get the idea, but not so rigid. For example," Locke shifted his weight onto his right leg, "this means danger," He brushed off his left shoulder, "of an unmanageable amount," he scratched his ear, "and you should attack first."
Touya nodded, taking in the signs and mimicking them, albeit a little awkwardly. He shifted his weight onto his right leg. Danger. Brushed off his left shoulder. A lot of Danger. And then scratched his ear. First attack. It was more complicated than what he had learned, more subtle, but he was intrigued. "And if I shouldn't attack?"
Locke shifted the weight to his right once more, brushed off his shoulder and scratched his chest. "Then I attack first," he brushed his shoulder and crossed his arms, "or we wait and see," he brushed his shoulder and put his left hand in his pocket, gesturing with his right, "or we might even retreat in the direction opposite of my genuflections." Once more, Locke brushed his shoulder scratched his chest, then let fly a knife in the blink of an eye into the tree. "Speech is a part of it as well, but you can see how it will become indispensable."
Touya's eyes widened, fascinated by a new language and the avenues that it would open up. Sometimes,, Sayuri and him would speak quietly with their yakuza slang, but more often than not they would use their disadvantage of being in a foreign land with a foreign language to their advantage. "Man," he murmured under his breath. "Do you know the shit we could pull with this?"
Locke walk to the tree and retrieved his knife. Friend, do you know the shit I've already pulled with this? He holstered the steel and handed Touya some more knives. "But that is for another day. Your current training is not finished. Face me. Turn. Throw. And do it in a second this time. A second, or you get no dinner."
Touya did as he was told, holstering the knives. There was an excitement building in him, similar to the feeling he would get when he was about to go on a run that he knew would go bad, or to do something that would break the law. He could feel it quivering inside him, a power aching to be released and he faced Locke, his eyes focusing on the other, watching the shadows swirling around his roommate, focusing on them as they curled around his neck, wispy and almost cloud-like, or perhaps smoke. Then he turned, pulling the knife in a quick movement, not yet smooth, his arm coming back to throw and when he released that energy went with the knife, into the knife. It hit off center or at least Touya thought it did, but regardless, the instant the knife it the tree it shattered, bending the wood, mutilating the bark and sending chips of it flying back toward them, but landing far short of where they were standing. His eyes wide, for a moment Touya could only look at where the knife had disappeared, shattering into metal shrapnel that had embedded itself deeply into the tree and then he started to lurch forward, swearing under his breath to look and see what he had done.
Locke gaped at the tree. That wasn't....that shouldn't be possible. That... He looked towards Touya who was as flabbergasted as he and trained his eyes on his shoes, attempting to rationalize what just happened. Locke knew the man had powers and believed he had them mapped out to a certain extent. He knew Touya was much stronger than the average man, unreasonably so, but this was something completely different. It seemed that the rest his coma gave him brought with it a self-realization of new strength. Locke clenched his fists, quivering. Not fair. It's just not--what am I twelve? He remained still until his hands stopped twitching and starred at the tree. One thing at a time. "You seem to have forgotten your own strength, Touya." He laughed. It sounded slightly forced. He cursed inwardly.
It wasn't... He hadn't... Not even with his full strength should he have been able to... Touya shook his head, fighting back a flinch when the other laughed. He knew there was no point in being sore at Locke for something that his fucking body and his stupid crazy ass powers had done, but there was no way that it was possible. "I'll..." Touya paused, fingers running over the shrapnel of the broken tree before he crouched down, picking up two small stones that were near it and running his fingers over them. The first one, when he let it fly was with his full force behind it and it hit the tree with a solid thunk before falling to the ground, not even becoming embedded in the bark.
With the second one, he lessened his strength, instead reaching for that strange energy, that feeling that had come over him before and letting it flow into the rock he held before he tossed it, much more casually than the one he had before, not bothering to put his full force behind it. The rock shattered as it impacted much like the knife had, tearing a huge, gaping wound in the tree and Touya just stared at it, his fingers twitching as they dropped back down to his sides. "I'll buy you a new fuckin' knife," he said, his eyes still not moving from that second tree even though he raised his voice to call back to Locke.
Locke looked into Touya's mirthless face and was rocked. Touya was as disturbed as he, no, more so than Locke at the force of his throws and although he knew why, he couldn't understand why. It made him feel sick, then upset with himself for being so petty, then furious he tried to play it off as a joke. "The knives were a gift. I pilfered them anyways." Locke walked over to the second tree, running his fingers over the gash in the bark, slightly warm to the touch. "You're getting stronger, Touya. Good." He turned his back to him, fighting back waves of mixed emotions. "I'm sorry I haven't caught up. I will try harder."
Catch up? How could.. Would he... You don't fucking want to catch up. Touya wanted to say, but he couldn't, couldn't bring himself to reveal that darkness, the way he could almost feel himself slipping with each passing week, sometimes with each passing day. It was almost as if he had a slippery hold on his sanity, one that he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep a grasp of for now. Even now, using a power twice in quick succession he felt slightly detached, unable to empathize with whatever it was that Locke was going through. There was anger there, struggling within him along with the unhappiness and despair, the confusion.
Anger strong enough that Touya wanted to throw rocks throughout the entire fucking forest, regardless of the consequences and then there was the thought of Sayuri, flitting through the edges of his mind as he reached up to touch the first tree again, pulling out a small shard of shrapnel, ignoring when the metal bit into his finger. He could barely feel it. Even the cold seemed more distant than it had before and although he was vaguely aware that Locke had spoke, he was too wrapped up in himself, too wrapped up in his own consequences, his own world and his own personal hell that he constantly lived to answer properly. "You're stronger than me in different ways" Touya said finally, fingers clenched around that shard, no bigger than a coin. He didn't bother to say that he was glad that Locke was, that he hoped that when it came to it (and he knew it would come to it one day), that the other would be strong enough to send Touya's ass back to the hell he'd returned from.
Locke mulled over the Japanese. He was getting better at that at least. "I think we should call it a day. Locke turned and collected the rest of the knives, keeping two for himself, holding the rest out to Touya. "Practice only the basic form I taught you. Everything else you learned today is to keep in your mind so you don't forget and it will be easier to draw on later, but 200 throws with each hand and that's it." Locke knew Touya would probably do much more so he used an irregular number. Let him practice to his heart's content. Maybe it would take his mind off of the disturbing side of life for once. "And enjoy this little 'break'," Locke smiled toothily. "From here on out, the real training starts."